2012 Elections

Hobbled by a struggling economy and acrimonious partisanship, America marked a turning point with the elections — although some may disagree over its direction. Election news had occupied headlines in 2011, as Republicans sought the nomination for presidency. The Supreme Court's 2010 ruling of Citizens United also set a contentious political stage, unleashing the super Pacs. In a way, politicians & Pacs injected their own economic stimulus with a collective outlay of $6 billion.

It's not clear how much Super Pacs and action funds "bought" races. The Sunlight Foundation's calculated returns on political investment ranged from a dismal 1.29% for American Crossroads (Karl Rove) to 98% for Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Citizens, however undecided, were clearly not passive: Searches on Yahoo! reveal people researching issues, reviewing platforms, comparing candidates, and relentlessly checking facts. In a time of sabermetrics and Freakonomics, pollsters themselves became the story, from Gallup (criticized for declaring a 7-point Mitt Romney lead 16 days before Election Day) to Nate Silver's statistical sweep. Yahoo! Signal too played the predictions game, projecting Feb. 16 that President Obama would win 303 electoral votes to the Republican nominee's 235. (Final tally: 332 for Obama, 206 for challenger Mitt Romney.)

Year in Review 2012: Top 10 Searches

•December 5, 2013

Chalk up another one for the voter: People may have been wearied by the negative campaigns, but they persevered through the slog of politics and made "elections" the year's most searched term. The fifth iteration of an Apple smartphone, a glorious gathering of athletes, the passing of a superstar, and a bevy of celebrities—including one duchess—also mesmerized online audiences in 2012.